This is one of my very favorite side dish as it has the two main ingredients that I love the most and which never fail to impress my kids. No matter wherever I go out for dinner out I used to end up ordering this side dish till learned to make it on my own. And oh boy I was only too glad when I started making this on my own.
I like using the fresh ones instead of the frozen ones and I don’t like replacing the fresh ones with dried ones either. So whenever the peas are in season this dish is repeated recurrence in the dining table. I used my old Microwave oven only for reheating purposes as I did not have any idea how to use it effectively. I bought a new one with the convection mode after giving the old one to a bachelor friend of my Husband. I vowed that I would start cooking many dishes and ended up converting many dishes of day to day cooking in the stove to be cooked in micro wave. This is one such dish.
Ingredients:
- Fresh green peas (cooked) – 1 cup
- Paneer – 200 gms
- Onion – 2
- Tomatoes – 3
- Broken cashew nuts – 1 tbsp
- Turmeric powder – ½ tsp (optional)
- Red Chilli powder – 1 tsp
- Coriander powder – 1 tsp
- Garam masala powder – ½ tsp
- Kasuri methi – ½ tsp
- Chopped coriander leaves – 2 tbsp
- Salt – to taste
- Oil – 1 tbsp
- Ghee – 1 tbsp
- Cream – 2 tsp (optional)
Preparation:
Cube the paneer and spread them over a Microwave safe plate. Apply 2 tsp of ghee evenly so that all the cubes are coated uniformly. Microwave high for 2 min or till they turn a golden color. Put the fried cubes in some warm water so that they remain soft. Cut the onions and tomatoes into chunks.
Method:
In a Microwave safe dish mix together onions, tomatoes, cashews with 2 tsp of oil and Microwave @ 100% for 3 min with the dish half closed with a Microwave safe plate or lid. Let it cool and grind it in a mixer with little water along with the turmeric powder to a fine paste.
In the same dish heat the remaining oil and ghee. Now add the chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder and Microwave @ 100% for 1 minute (open). Add the peas, salt and ground paste to it and some water if needed as per the consistency that you prefer. Mix well and Microwave high for 4 mins (half closed).
Now add the paneer cubes, kasuri methi, coriander leaves. Mix well and Microwave at high for 1 to 2 mins. Let it stand for a couple of minutes before serving it with a swirl of cream on top. This goes well with chapattis, puris or Naan.
This is off to Microwave cooking event, featuring Protein rich diet hosted by Ramya.